Pineapple Worker

Jennifer Goya
Pineapple Worker, 2010
Single-Channel Video
3 minutes

Pineapple Worker shows a woman wearing a traditional outfit for fieldwork on a pineapple plantation in her home.  Her face is covered entirely to protect her from the harsh sun and heavy dust. She’s caught in an awkward struggle with the fruit she is expected to cultivate.   The performance, is simply, a struggling act and serves as a metaphor for the common struggle with “living in paradise.” The video is paired with the audio recording of Venicia Guiala, a college-graduate and teacher in her native Philippines, who worked for Dole Plantation for 20 years.

The University of Hawaii Center for Oral History conducted the interview, which was used with permission in this video installation. 

Exhibition

Westside Gallery
New York, NY
2010